A number of people on social media have reported hearing a loud, unexplained bang across the New Orleans area.
Several Twitter users said the apparent late night explosion shook their homes. A noise was also reported in areas such as Algiers and Bywater.
Others said similar loud bangs have been heard in the area for the past month or so.
"Just heard a loud, low bang and our house just shook. went outside and the neighbors 2 houses down were also investigating," Twitter user @Du7ch49 wrote. "Friends in Algiers and Treme *and* Gentilly heard it too. wtf is happening in New Orleans?"
Matthew D. White added: "Half of New Orleans, from Algiers, Bywater, Mid-City, just heard a big Boom that shook houses including mine. And no one knows what it is..."
Fellow Twitter user Tom Roche wrote: "Huge, distant but loud explosion just shook #NOLA West Bank, maybe 11:18 pm. Rattled my windows and echoed for a few seconds. What was it?"
Peter C. Cook said: "Did anyone else just hear a mysterious, really loud boom in the Holy Cross/Bywater/Algiers area? This has happened several times in the past month or so..."
There are also reports of a similar bang being heard in New Mexico, although it is unclear if the two events are linked. There are also suggestions the noise could have come from a meteor somewhere off the coast.
A New Orleans Police Department spokesperson told Newsweek that it did receive several calls regarding a large boom/noise on Tuesday night, but there is no incident that might be associated with the sound currently under investigation at this time.
Earlier in January, residents in a California county complained about hearing a series of mysterious explosions at night.
Cristina Peralta, of the Marin County area of San Geronimo Valley, said she and her boyfriend had been "hearing really loud explosions," some of which shook their house.
"I heard one and it rattled the walls of our house. I felt it in my body, my chest, it was so low it sounded like it was coming from underground," Peralta told KGO.
"It's a really disturbing sound and it's scary to hear that when it's like 8 p.m. on any given night," Peralta added.
The Marin County Sheriff's Office confirmed to KGO that it was aware of the explosions and at least six have occurred in the last month, including the most recent on on January 16 at around 10 p.m.
A deputy went to investigate the noise and found evidence that someone had lit an unknown device and damaged a large tree in the area.
The sheriff's office said they have deployed additional deputies to the areas in an attempt to find the person or persons responsible.
